MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Friday that it did not believe that a tougher stance U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted towards Russia over its war in Ukraine means the end of U.S-Russia talks aimed at reviving their battered ties.
Trump unveiled his new position on Monday, setting a 50-day deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine or face sanctions. He also promised more missiles for Kyiv, a move the Russian Foreign Ministry sharply criticised on Thursday.
Asked on Friday if Trump’s statements meant that negotiations aimed at reviving ties between Moscow and Washington would now end, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
“We assume that this is not what it means. Of course, these are different issues. One issue is the question of the Ukrainian (peace) settlement. The other issue is our bilateral relations.”
Peskov said many “irritants” and problems still needed to be resolved in order to improve ties with Washington which he said were “in a deplorable state.” He called efforts to change the situation time-consuming and difficult.
Moscow’s dialogue with Washington appeared to improve after Trump retook office in January, but Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with President Vladimir Putin over conditions the Kremlin chief has attached to any potential ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine held two rounds of peace talks in Turkey earlier this year which yielded an agreement to exchange prisoners and soldiers’ remains.
But no date has yet been set for a third round of talks and the warring sides remain far apart on the terms of any ceasefire or eventual peace settlement.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Lucy PapachristouEditing by Andrew Osborn)
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